Greenhouse Gases
Atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide – each tracked against pre-industrial baselines – alongside global temperature anomaly, Arctic sea ice extent, and ocean surface warming. Historical charts reveal the long-term rise of each gas and show how they translate into measurable change: land warming faster than sea, ice retreating, and a planet pressing against the limits set by the Paris Agreement.
Fetching live greenhouse gas data...
Explore
Explore Climate Data
FAQs
FAQs
What does the greenhouse gases page show?
Live atmospheric concentrations of the three main long-lived greenhouse gases - carbon dioxide (CO₂), methane (CH₄) and nitrous oxide (N₂O) - alongside their long-term ice-core records stretching back hundreds of thousands of years. Current values and recent monthly trends are in the live panels above.
Which greenhouse gases matter most for climate change?
Carbon dioxide is the largest single contributor to human-caused warming and the longest-lived in the atmosphere. Methane has a much shorter lifetime but a far stronger warming effect per molecule. Nitrous oxide has a long lifetime and is the third-largest contributor. Fluorinated gases (HFCs, PFCs, SF₆) and water-vapour feedback also play a role; the major three are tracked on this page.
Where does the greenhouse gas data come from?
Modern atmospheric measurements: NOAA Global Monitoring Laboratory, including the Mauna Loa Observatory and the global air-sampling network. Long-term ice-core records: EPICA, Vostok and Law Dome projects, archived at NOAA NCEI. Live monthly updates are sourced via the global-warming.org public API which mirrors the NOAA feeds.
How are the numbers expressed?
CO₂ is reported in parts per million (ppm). Methane and nitrous oxide are reported in parts per billion (ppb). Trend lines remove the seasonal cycle to show the underlying year-on-year change. Pre-industrial levels (around 1750) are noted on each chart for reference.
How often is this page updated?
Monthly atmospheric measurements refresh each month, typically within a few weeks of the measurement date. Ice-core records are static historical archives that do not change.
Is this page suitable for students studying climate change?
Yes. The greenhouse gases page covers material directly relevant to UK GCSE and A-level Geography (carbon cycle, climate change causes), IB Environmental Systems and Societies (Topic 3: Climate and energy) and AP Environmental Science (Unit 7: Atmospheric pollution, Unit 9: Global change). The long-term ice-core charts and live concentration data are particularly useful for illustrating the scale and pace of change since industrialisation. Citation formats for academic work are available on the Climate Education page.
What is the difference between CO₂ concentration and CO₂ emissions?
CO₂ concentration (measured in parts per million, ppm) is the amount of carbon dioxide currently in the atmosphere - it is what this page tracks. CO₂ emissions are the annual flow of new carbon dioxide released by human activity. Emissions are like water flowing into a bath; concentration is the level of water in the bath. Because CO₂ persists in the atmosphere for centuries, concentration continues to rise even as emission growth slows. Country-level emissions data is available on the CO₂ Emissions page.